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John Scott-Railton

@jsrailton

Sep 22, 2023 • 10 tweets • 6 min read • Read on X

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🚨UPDATE your @Apple products now!

We @citizenlab w/TAG's @maddiestone caught #predator spyware attacks against a prominent pro-democracy Egyptian politician after he announced presidential ambitions.

Apple rushed a patch.

It gets crazier 1/

citizenlab.ca/2023/09/predat…

2/ Ahmed Eltantawy got in touch with us @citizenlab, worried his devices were targeted in #Egypt.

He was right. His iPhone on @VodafoneEgypt was targeted for network injection.

As he browsed the net, the attackers were trying to slip a #Predator infection onto his device.

https://twitter.com/accessnow/status/1301950701178941446

3/ It gets worse.

We attribute the spyware injection system to a @Sandvine Packet Logic product w/high confidence.

Sandvine has been accused in past of facilitating human rights abuses in the past.

Owned by NSO Group's former owner Francisco Partners.

https://twitter.com/accessnow/status/1301950701178941446

4/ This kind of exploit delivery through injection DOES NOT require a target to click as our collaborator, the brilliant @maddiestone, points out in her post.

It's a seriously dangerous kind of attack & hard to protect against.
blog.google/threat-analysi…

@maddiestone 5/ Apple moved quickly to fix the zero-day exploits @maddiestone & @billmarczak discovered.

We encourage everyone to immeidately update their apple products.

There is a piece of good security news buried in all this...

@maddiestone @billmarczak 6/ We believe & Apple's Security Engineering & Architecture Team confirms, Lockdown Mode would have blocked this attack!

We *strongly* encourage all Apple users that may be at risk because of who they are or what they do to enable Lockdown Mode!

support.apple.com/en-us/HT212650

@maddiestone @billmarczak 7/ Ahmed ElTantawy wasn't just targeted with network injection!

He was also targeted with #Predator spyware links in decoy messages sent as texts & over @WhatsApp.

One of the attacks masqueraded as communications from the International Federation for Human Rights @fidh_en

@maddiestone @billmarczak @WhatsApp @fidh_en 8/ This summer the 🇺🇸US hit developer & distributor of #Predator spyware (Cytrox & Intellexa) with blacklisting.

This latest abuse revelation affirms the determination that the spyware continues to fuel human rights abuses.

By @ddimolfetta & @Post_AG
washingtonpost.com/national-secur…

9/ Pulling back the lens from the tech side of this #Predator attack:

Mercenary spyware is autocrat fuel.

When you hack a pro-democracy presidential hopeful in an autocracy... you are doing dictatorship.

And spyware companies know exactly who they are selling to.

10/ Without brave victims like Ahmed Tantawy getting checked & coming forwards, these recent exploits would not have been found.

Billions of apple devices would still be vulnerable.

Including yours.

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More from @jsrailton

John Scott-Railton

@jsrailton

Jul 8

THE #EU parliament #spyware debate has kicked off, follow along with me.

( triggered by the hacking of a MEP investigating spyware w/Pegasus)

It kicks off as expected with Commissioner @dubravkasuica (Croatia) trying frame the issue as a national one (govs should investigate...not the parliament).

This is likely to be unpopular among MEPs concerned by spyware abuses.

Next up? MEP & spyware victim @KrzysztofBrejza 1/

2/ Next: MEP @KrzysztofBrejza, himself a spyware target is clear: mercenary spyware is a risk to democracy & institutions.

I've experienced it myself. Spyware is dangerous when in the hands of the wrong ppl.

A very powerful statement.

@krzysztofbrejza 3/ Strong statements by @alexagiussaliba: Every citizen has the right to privacy.

This issue needs to be clearly investigated.

Spyware is incredibly invasive.

Read 11 tweets

John Scott-Railton

@jsrailton

Jul 3

BREAKING: 🇪🇺EU lawmaker investigating spyware abuses was hacked with Pegasus.

Infected during key moments of the PEGA committee.

More proof that it's spyware open season in Europe.. yet nothing is being done 1/

Our @citizenlab forensic investigation: citizenlab.ca/research/membe…

2/Your're a MEP on the PEGA committee.

You spend a year hearing bleak testimony from spyware victims.

Journalists..dissidents... politicians. Lives upended by hacking.

They you learn that you're also a victim.

Meet @SteliosKoul.

By @AntoanetaRoussi politico.eu/article/probe-…

3/ @SteliosKoul's iPhone was hacked with a Pegasus zero-click attack.

No link to click. No attachment to open.

One minute your phone is private, the next it's a spy in your pocket.

Access to all your files, camera, microphone.

Listening to meetings & your private life.

Read 11 tweets

John Scott-Railton

@jsrailton

Jun 8

BREAKING: NSO Group caught trying to hack across @WhatsApp. Again!

In defiance of 🇺🇸US Courts.

WhatsApp disrupted the Pegasus campaign & says it violates US Federal injunction they won against NSO.

Asks Federal judge to hold NSO Group in contempt.

Many implications... 1/

2/ Back in 2019 @WhatsApp sued NSO Group for hacking 1.4k of their users.

NSO tried every possible tactic to dodge the case.

But lost spectacularly in 2024 and got hit with huge damages & later a permanent injunction against hacking WhatsApp.

reuters.com/technology/cyb…

@WhatsApp 3/ Despite bruising losses in American court...

And getting 🇺🇸US sanctioned...

NSO chose optimism & has been trying to persuade everybody that they are reformed & should be delisted

I think is the eventual goal = get Pegasus spyware into US policing.
timesofisrael.com/seeking-to-get…

Read 8 tweets

John Scott-Railton

@jsrailton

May 7

https://twitter.com/EP_EPRS/status/2051959573917929731

It is hard to denounce China's Great Firewall when European politicians are preparing to demand the same thing.

It always starts with a call to protect children.

But it ends with adults needing permission to share their political views.

Embarrassingly short sighted.

https://twitter.com/EP_EPRS/status/2051959573917929731

https://x.com/EP_EPRS/status/2051962262127047167

2/ Parents want to protect their children, but once you build & implement bones of a system like this, with government developed 'verification' apps you've loaded the gun & pointed it at free expression.

You also suppress innovation.

https://x.com/EP_EPRS/status/2051962262127047167

3/ The funny thing? Every dictatorial regime has struggled to fight VPNs..

So what happens? You wind up with motivated & well-resourced people circumventing your controls...

And a society where everyone simultaneously feels less private & like they should be self-censoring.

Read 5 tweets

John Scott-Railton

@jsrailton

May 2

PAY ATTENTION: China just figured out a global veto on who gets to speak.

#RightsCon is a massive tech & rights conference.

Thousands attend from everywhere.

It was scheduled for next week in #Zambia with their gov's full cooperation.

Then, 🇨🇳#China made a call. 1/

2/ Last Monday, the #Zambian endorsed #RightsCon. Again.

Then, pressure from #China came down hard.

Almost immediately, things went sideways.

Starting at the border...

rightscon.org/rc26-statement/

3/ People were already flying in from all over the globe to #Zambia... thousands were to follow.

Suddenly the tone at customs changed.

Customs officials were telling exhausted & puzzled attendees that their conference was cancelled.

Meanwhile? Official silence.

Weird, right?

Read 8 tweets

John Scott-Railton

@jsrailton

Apr 9

BREAKING: You checked the weather this morning.

And you just told a surveillance company where you sleep.

Meet #Webloc, used by ICE, cops & foreign govs to track 500m+ phones.

No warrant required.

Our latest @citizenlab investigation + how to protect yourself 🧵/1

2/ Heard of ADINT aka ADvertising INTelligence?

Your apps don't just show ads.

They stream of info about your GPS location + a unique identifier to HUNDREDS OF BROKERS EVERY SECOND.

The industry swears the data is "anonymous" but it's actually a Spies-eye-view. Of everyone.

3/ Companies peddle the BS that advertising data is 'anonymous'

They want to keep you in the dark.

Because, behind the scenes...your weather app is a blinking tracking beacon.

And then players like @penlink turn that beacon into a data flow.

And sell it to governments.